Part Four

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

Many thanks to Alliean for the preliminary alpha read and to sirsevchick for beta-ing this for me.

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Part Four

Halloween certainly knew how to creep up rather quickly, and no sooner than Hermione Granger had asked Severus to the ball with her, the event itself was right on his heels. He looked into the mirror and sighed in resignation. He was bare from the hips up, with only his formal black slacks and new, polished, black shoes on. He could see the raw scars from his dreadful emotional habit, but was rather pleased that he had not had the urge to cut himself since that night near the Forbidden Forest.

He pulled on a black, silk shirt and buttoned it with practiced ease, securing the cuffs and neatly tucking it into his trousers that were resting on his jutting hipbones. He pulled on his silky, black waistcoat, which had a shimmering silver design of serpents imprinted into it faintly, and buttoned it too before tucking the black, starched front piece in and securing his necktie.

He pulled on the formal outer robe and straightened out. He looked passable at best, and the robe was most likely the only nice-looking thing about him. Muttering to himself, he secured his ridiculous ebony hair with a silk tie at the nape of his neck.

That was going to have to do.

If Hermione was looking for a knight in shining armor, then she was sure to be sorely disappointed. Shaking his head, he left his chamber in the familiar sweeping motion that he had not used in a month. It felt odd trying to act like nothing had happened, yet so natural to act like a self-important bastard.

He walked with long strides to Hermione's chambers and found that the portrait had been left un-warded, smirking at her innocent faith in him and anyone else who should happen to pass and notice the lack of wards. He muttered her password, and the portrait swung forth immediately to admit him into her immaculate sitting room.

'I'll be with you in one moment, Professor,' she said hurriedly, poking her head out from a door to his left and smiling at him before retreating back into the room.

He walked over to the wall lined with bookshelves, and only then noticed just how large a collection she had, not to mention the wall covered with nooks in her office, and the possibility of more in her private study. She was well on her way to having as many as he did.

Of course, that might take her hundreds of years to achieve, as he had a manor house just outside of Scotland that had a huge library, as well as his generous collection in his chambers and workspace. He chose to peruse her books as he waited, and was impressed with her taste in both Muggle and magical literature. Some Muggle fictions included Jane Austen's Complete Works, with books like Pride & Prejudice, and another, Sense & Sensibility. He also found titles such as Moste Pontente Potions and Potente Vivere, a book dedicated to Potions that enhanced life and exploited death. He continued to look through the books until he heard a soft voice clear her throat.

He spun around and almost gasped at what he saw. Hermione was dressed in the most delightful two-piece robe set. It had a high collar on the outer black robe and was edged with silver thread in an intricate pattern, with the same edging along the elbow-length sleeves. The inner dress was made of the same sheer silk, except it was in slippery silver, and fell to the floor, where the outer robe only went two inches higher than it.

She had her hair swept up in a breathtaking twist, with tendrils of her brown curls tumbling down her neck and framing her face. Her eyes positively twinkled at him. She had not been dressed like that when he had first arrived.

'Professor, you're staring at me,' she said shyly, blushing all the way down her neck and flushing at the exposed tops of her perfectly rounded breasts. Severus definitely felt a stirring in his loins when she flushed like that.

He pulled himself out of his trance and went up to her, taking her hand and pressing a formal kiss to her knuckles. 'I do not like her. I do not like her. I do not like her...' seemed to be the only thing that Severus could think.

'You look nice,' he said stiffly. It took a lot for him to give any person a compliment, which meant that it should mean more than if any other person had said it.

And the funny thing was – it actually did. Hermione found it hard to breathe when she had first seen him in her chambers. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but to her, he looked dignified and mature. Not like all of the silly little boys she was used to seeing on a daily basis. To her, he was attractive, and with his trim, tall figure in those robes, she would do anything to be able to rip them off him.

'Shall we go then?' she asked a little breathlessly. She hoped he wouldn't notice that he had put her in a state of high arousal to say the very least.

'Let's,' he said simply, holding an arm out for her to tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow, and started towards the exit.

They emerged into the cool of the dungeon hall, and Hermione stopped him. She handed him a silver half-mask, which was guaranteed to cover his entire forehead, cheeks and nose perfectly. She had charmed it so that it would fit the exact proportions of his features. He slipped it on wordlessly and waited for her to put hers on. It was similar, and also fit the proportions of her face, and was in the same silver. It was odd how they had both chosen their own wardrobe, and had ended up choosing a costume that complimented the other perfectly.

When she had fastened it in place, and fastened the two buttons at the front of her dress robes, they emerged from the dungeons arm in arm. They walked into the Great Hall together, only to find that it had already filled with the many students, all wearing masks as tradition dictated. At midnight the removal would commence.

Snape was quite the gentleman the entire night, being extremely chivalrous and making sure that she was comfortable. He collected her drinks for her, pulled out her chair for her, danced wonderfully with her. But the only downside to this gentlemanly Snape was that he hardly spoke more than two words all night.

Hermione decided, as they danced, she would have to say something to him to break the building tension.

'It has been quite a lovely evening, don't you agree?' she asked conversationally.

'Indeed,' he replied stiffly, whirling her around, before pulling her back flush against him as they waltzed, dipped and twirled around the dance floor.

'Aren't you supposed to be doing some sort of chaperoning duty?' she asked, wondering whether or not he had forgotten. His thinning lips told her that he had not forgotten, and that her reminder was unwanted.

'Yes,' he replied tersely.

'May I come with you when you do?' she asked softly.

'Yes,' he answered, but this time with more shock than anything else.

The dance ended, and he led them off the dance floor and out the nearest doors so that they could stroll amongst the gardens, and ensure that no students were performing inappropriate acts outside. They stopped by a series of tall rose bushes, and Snape muttered a charm and waved his hand across, exposing the snogging couple behind them.

'Miss Greengrass, Mr. Zabini. Pray tell why it is that you are out in the cold, while everybody else is enjoying the festivities?' he asked in a very Slytherin manner.

Hermione would have laughed at their situation any other day, but was more acutely aware of what Snape had just done to them. He had been sneaky, cold, and asked questions to force them into answering them honestly. They didn't have an answer for him this time.

'Twenty points from Slytherin and the same for Ravenclaw, Miss Greengrass,' he said shortly, pointing a long finger in the general direction of the castle.

Hermione smiled at this very Snape-like action. They finished his rounds and danced a couple more dances before Hermione yawned softly. He looked down and, seeing that she was beginning to get sleepy, led her off the dance floor. Once they were out of the Great Hall, he picked her up and carried her back to the portrait, and deposited her on her bed, once the blasted thing had admitted him.

Sweet Nimue, portraits could be ruddy annoying. He left Hermione's room, trying to ignore the fact that she was on his mind, when the pain shot through his arm, burning in that most familiar way.

The Dark Lord certainly knew how to pick the times to further his plans.

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The air was stale and sickly in the swamp. It tasted of death and the ugly fate that awaited them as they crouched in waiting. Severus was crouched especially low in his half-kneeling, half-bowing position that was required of him while in the presence of the Dark Lord. He had more recently found himself sitting closest to Voldemort, at his right hand, while Lucius knelt at his right.

They were waiting for the traitor to be led to the centre to grovel before the Dark Lord and beg for forgiveness, before it would be denied, and he would be tortured and killed. It had happened more times than he could count, as Voldemort's follower's faith in him had begun to crumble of late.

What had started out as an almost pleasant Halloween had soon become the bane of his very existence; second only to his pesky apprentice? Perhaps, but she wasn't a threat to him as she slumbered peacefully in her dungeon chambers.

'Ah, finally, the guest of honor has arrived,' Voldemort drawled, ending with a hiss.

Severus looked up just enough to catch sight of the victim for that night. It was Percy Weasley. When had that freckled pain-in-the-arse become a Death Eater? He supposed that it was hard to recognize anyone with the masks on, but he had never figured that the third Weasley boy had a dark side.

'Percy Ignatius Weasley, you are hereby sentenced to torture and death for your betrayal of our Lord, and your deceit,' Lucius Malfoy said deadpan.

Voldemort gave a sharp nod and waved for Severus to move forward. 'Severus, would you do the honors this evening?' he asked, as more of an order.

Severus had no choice but to stand. His feet propelled him up, and he grasped the handle of his wand more firmly, snapping it in the direction of the young Weasley. He was about to cast the only hex that came to mind when he was stopped by an angry, high-pitched voice that sounded out around the dense air of the swamp even.

'Crucio!' screamed Bellatrix Lestrange angrily.

Severus fell to the ground in angry, writhing pain. Although it was not as intense as the Dark Lord's, it still made him twitch. He heard, through the blood pounding in his ears, the woman begin her ranting screech.

'You, Severus Snape, are the most undeserving, pathetic, snivelling coward I have ever known. How dare you presume that you can claim my position at the foot of our Lord! How dare you!' she screamed, having a miniature tantrum.

'Enough, Bella,' Voldemort cried out furiously. 'I gave the position to Severus freely. He is faithful, and has proven to be far greater use to me than you ever will!'

Bellatrix reluctantly removed the curse, dropping to her knees on the ground as Severus staggered into a standing position once more.

He brushed off the dust on his robes and stood to full height, still shaking and tensed-up a little, but glaring at Bella all the same. If looks could kill, she would have been six-foot under. 'You question our Lord's decisions, Bella. I thought you knew better than that,' Snape drawled smugly.

'Severus, she is yours to deal with as you please, once you have removed the traitor, but for Merlin's sake, kill the Weasley,' Lucius whined impatiently.

Severus nodded and turned back to the traitor. He hated the Weasleys, and the task should have been easy for him. But as he looked at this Weasley, he thought of Ron Weasley and remembered Hermione. She loved the Weasleys so dearly, like family, and was accepted into their home, because she didn't have one of her own any more. Bellatrix Lestrange was to blame for that.

He raised his wand, however, reluctantly, and sighed inwardly. Goodbye, Weasley, was his last, fleeting thought, before he did the unthinkable. 'Avada Kedavra!' he cried, feeling hatred boil at what he was being made to do.

The redhead dropped lifelessly to the ground. He was loathing seeing the empty, green eyes staring back up at him with an unfocussed glaze about them. He felt ill, like he had committed yet another terrible wrong.

'Well done, Severus,' his master said cruelly. 'Now, don't you want to punish Bella?'

Snape shook his head. 'With your permission, Master, I will return to Hogwarts and take a muscle relaxant. Her weak Crucio has left my nerves on edge,' he drawled.

'Of course, go now my faithful servant. Heal yourself, and I will ensure that Bella is punished for her brash actions towards you,' Voldemort said, with more than a little delight in his red eyes.

Severus Apparated away as soon as he could and appeared at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, feeling his muscles convulse a little from the after-effects of the curse. Bellatrix was not nearly as powerful as the Dark Lord, but it was strong enough to make his muscles ache as if he had been for a long run. He pulled the mask off and headed towards the castle in a moderate amount of discomfort.

He reached the door, that was flung open the moment he reached out for the handle, and he was pulled through forcefully by a frantic-looking Hermione. 'What are you doing, girl?' he hissed.

'What the bloody hell does it look like?' she demanded back angrily, forcing a vial into his hands just as a fresh wave of tremors hit.

He dropped the vial, and she waved a hand to stop it from falling, and summoned it back to her hand by crooking a finger. She took off the stopper and used one hand on his chest to steady him, and pressed the vial to his lips with the other. He drank it only to get away from her sooner, but she didn't relent.

'Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick!' she asked.

'Do not assume that you can speak to me that way, Miss Granger!' he spat. 'You'll do well to remember just who the master is here!'

'I am not your slave that you can just order around, Snape! I am a human being too, not some ruddy house-elf. Treat me like one,' she said in a low voice, gritting her teeth so to not lose control.

Snape stood there stunned. She had never, in her entire time at Hogwarts, ever called him anything but sir or Professor Snape. The shakes had gone, and he could see the anger in her eyes, as well as the angry flush of her cheeks. He had really gone too far this time. He had not meant to drive away her respect for him.

'My apologies,' he said, dropping the Death Eater mask.

Hermione gasped for the first time as she saw the mask fall to the ground. She knew he had gone there. She knew, from the moment she saw the castle's side door left open, that he had been made to rush off in a hurry.

'What happened this time?' she asked. Last time it had been a Muggle family. There was no way that a Death Eater meeting had gone by without something dreadful happening.

Severus bowed his head and shook it. He couldn't tell her. She would know in the morning when the post arrived anyway. He looked up and saw the fear in her eyes. Why was she always so concerned for him? For everyone else? He pushed his body off the wall and wrapped his arms around her. He needed the comfort this time, more than ever. She simply accepted it, knowing that if she wasn't there, he would be somewhere in his chambers, slowly killing himself in a pool of blood.

He heaved an awful sigh and pulled her as tight as his thick, cumbersome dress robes would allow. Somehow, this contact, this brief intimacy in the parallel space they were in, was the thing he needed the most and lived for. She reached her hands up to the clasp on his Death Eater cloak and released it, letting the robe slip to the floor in an inky pool, and pulled him closer.

'I'm sorry, Miss Granger,' he said quietly, holding her as if she would slip away at any moment.

Hermione pressed fingers to his lips and shushed him. 'Please, don't. You need this, and I do too. Don't apologize for anything,' she soothed softly.

'Miss Granger...'

'Surely you can call me Hermione after this, at least,' she interrupted, letting her hand stroke up the front of his silk waistcoat, feeling the smooth texture.

'Hermione, thank you,' he said quietly.

Hermione could tell by that point that Snape was getting extremely fatigued and had no idea what he was doing. She released him and led him in the direction of his chambers, made him say the password, and laid him to rest on his bed. After making him drink a Dreamless Sleep Potion, she left without another word.

Her sleep was tormented after that...

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The note that had been pinned to the notice board just outside of the Great Hall had come as a relief to many of the staff and students alike. Hermione had been relieved by the note the day it had been posted, but five days after, she felt slightly less pleased by it.

Christmas Break

All students are wished a very Happy Christmas!

As Hermione read the note again, she sighed. It had only been three days since she had walked Harry, Ginny and Draco to Hogsmeade and waved them goodbye. Harry and Ginny were going to spend Christmas at the Burrow with the Weasleys, while Draco headed to spend a week with his mother, and then a week at the Burrow under the guise that he would be going to spend the second week at Hogwarts.

She looked at the globes and the jewels sparkling in the house points counting vases, and sighed. The date that read above it came as a depressing reality to her. 23rd of December... She shook her head. Maybe some time in the library would help to clear her head. She walked in that direction, and just as she reached out to open the door, she felt a hand on her other elbow.

She snapped around defensively, clutching her wand tightly within her robes. It was just Snape. 'Can I help you, Professor?' she asked coolly.

'Yes, I was wondering if you had anything you needed to do in London before we go to Yorkshire,' he asked back just as stiffly.

'Yorkshire?' she asked, cocking her head to the side in a questioning way.

'That is where I live. We will be spending the remainder of the holiday there where I might pursue my Potions research more freely. So I suggest you pack. We'll be stopping in Diagon Alley shortly on the way,' he noted off quickly.

Hermione bristled slightly under his irritated look, and sighed. 'I'll go pack then, shall I?' she asked as more of a statement, turning to walk back in the direction of the dungeons. 'How long do I have?'

'I have made arrangements and packed. You have as long as you need,' he replied absently.

Hermione nodded, fled to her chambers and began to scrabble around, throwing books into her bag and neatly tucking as many decent-looking robes as she could into the bag, including some reasonable Muggle clothes. Once she deemed herself ready enough for the trip, she strolled out of the dungeons and found herself in the Entrance Hall within twenty minutes.

'Are you ready to leave now?' Snape whispered silkily beside her ear, his warm breath washing over her neck, causing her flesh to prickle.

'Yes,' she breathed, trying not to sound aroused.

'Excellent, shall we leave then?' he asked smoothly, letting his hand rest on the small of her back and nudging her towards the great oak doors.

Hermione nodded, and tapped her bag with her wand, instantly transforming it into a shoulder bag that she could carry. She slung it over her shoulder and walked towards the door, making sure that she kept up with Snape. Surprisingly, he walked next to her in silence at a pace that was most leisurely for him.

Hermione watched his graceful movements as he walked with long, deft strides, making walking an art of its own. She knew that she had been mad at this man for many things in his past and in the present. But all of those things were forgotten to her, at least for Christmas. There was no use in being mad during the holidays. But she had to ask the question...

'Professor, what happened at the last Death Eater meeting?' she asked quietly, barely above a hiss.

Severus was instantly taken-aback by her question. To his surprise, relief and disgust, Percy Weasley's death had not been on the front page of the Daily Prophet. He had found out mere hours after that his body had been disposed of carefully, and the Dark Mark had not been cast. He looked at Hermione. Percy had long been distant from his family, which was why nobody had noticed his disappearance. Molly and Arthur had no idea, nor his siblings or Harry-bloody-Potter. Neither did Hermione...

'I cannot tell you, Miss Granger,' he said solemnly.

Hermione prickled immediately. 'Don't give me that routine, Professor. You know perfectly well that I know something dreadful happened. Somebody died, didn't they?' she demanded hotly.

'Yes.'

'Tell me who,' she said curtly.

'You will be disappointed. He was another Death Eater. A traitor who was discovered trying to flee the country,' Severus replied evenly, his voice betraying nothing.

'I want to know,' she said calmly. 'Please.'

Severus cleared his throat uncomfortably. 'Percy Weasley.'

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and looked up into Snape's mercilessly obsidian eyes. He looked as impassive as ever, voice level, posture stiff. But his eyes were speaking volumes. It was filled with remorse, disgust, hate, fury, and sorrow. She stepped forwards and reached her hand up to his face, cupping his jaw in it and bringing the other to rest on his chest. His body stiffened instantly, but after a long moment, relaxed a little beneath her trembling hands.

'You had to do it, didn't you?' she asked, knowing what the answer was already.

Severus lifted his left hand and rested it over the hand on his chest, and let his right hand cover her hand on is face. He drew them away from him, into his hands, and held them firmly as he kneeled on the ground before her, unguarded, yet unsure.

'Forgive me,' he pleaded as he grasped her hands and looked up into her shining eyes.

'Of course,' she whispered, tugging at his hands to get him to stand. 'Let's leave here now, though.'

He towered before her once more, still holding her small hands in his large hands, and nodded slowly. He released her hands and moved a reasonable distance away before gesturing for them to continue. Hermione walked beside him the whole time, not speaking, but letting his presence and sincere remorse comfort her.

They soon reached the Apparation point, where Hermione felt herself wrapped in Snape's arms in what seemed an almost familiar way, and they disappeared with a pop. They reappeared in the small courtyard outside of the Leaky Cauldron, just before the entrance to Diagon Alley. He didn't let go of her. Instead, he pulled her to him closer, hanging on as if she was the life itself.

Hermione had no objections, and snuggled into his arms, feeling his pain passing through her. She would filter out the bad things, the thoughts of self-inflicted pain, everything. He needed her. He needed her.

'Thank you.' was all that he could say to her.

Hermione wondered if it would always be that way with him, but decided that she didn't want to think about it that way. She would just enjoy the gentle side of Snape for just a little while longer.

It didn't take long for them to gather together all of their outstanding Christmas presents after that, and then Apparate to his house in Yorkshire. Hermione was led to her room by a house-elf and left alone in the large room of his Victorian home. She collapsed onto the bed and closed her eyes.

She had poured out all of her special magic into Snape that day. It was her gift of healing the wounds that not many could. But she knew that she would be there to do that for him as long as he needed her.

With that final thought, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep...

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